Acacia plant named ‘ACCOG01’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Acacia  plant named ‘ACCOG01’, characterized by its compact, semi-upright to outwardly arching and rounded plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; dense and bushy appearance; and numerous dark green-colored phyllodes that are broad and medium in length.

Botanical designation: Acacia cognata.

Cultivar denomination: ‘ACCOG01’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Acacia plant, botanically known as Acacia cognata and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘ACCOG01’.

The new Acacia plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Mt. Evelyn, Victoria, Australia. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact Acacia plants with attractive growth habit and foliage.

The new Acacia plant originated from an open-pollination in Mt. Evelyn, Victoria, Australia in 2000 of an unnamed selection of Acacia cognata, not patented, as the female, or seed parent with an unknown selection of Acacia cognata as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Acacia plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single plant from within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Mt. Evelyn, Victoria, Australia in 2001.

Asexual reproduction of the new Acacia plant by cuttings in Mt. Evelyn, Victoria, Australia since 2001 has shown that the unique features of this new Acacia plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Acacia have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘ACCOG01’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘ACCOG01’ as a new and distinct Acacia plant:

-   -   1. Compact, semi-upright to outwardly arching and rounded plant         habit.     -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   3 Freely branching habit; dense and bushy appearance.     -   4. Numerous dark green-colored phyllodes that are broad and         medium in length.

Plants of the new Acacia can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Acacia differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Acacia are more compact than plants of the         female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Acacia are denser than plants of the female         parent selection.

Plants of the new Acacia can be compared to plants of Acacia cognata ‘Limelight’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Mt. Evelyn, Victoria, Australia, plants of the new Acacia differed primarily from plants of ‘Limelight’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Acacia were more outwardly arching than and         not as upright as plants of ‘Limelight’.     -   2. Plants of the new Acacia were shorter and broader than plants         of ‘Limelight’.     -   3. Phyllodes of plants of the new Acacia were shorter and         broader than phyllodes of plants of ‘Limelight’.     -   4. Phyllodes of plants of the new Acacia were darker green in         color than phyllodes of plants of ‘Limelight’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Acacia plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the following detailed botanical description which accurately describe the actual colors of the new Acacia plant. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical plant of ‘ACCOG01’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown in 20-cm containers during the summer and early winter in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse in Cranbourne, Victoria, Australia and under cultural practices typical of commercial Acacia production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 10° C. to 40° C., night temperatures ranged from 4° C. to 25° C. and light levels ranged from 5,000 to 9,000 foot-candles. Plants were one year old when the photograph and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Acacia cognata ‘ACCOG01’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed selection of Acacia             cognata, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Acacia             cognata, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 35 days at 22° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 55 days at 22° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 84 days             at 22° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 100 days             at 14° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white, close to NN155D, in             color.         -   Rooting habit.—Moderately freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Perennial shrub; compact,             semi-upright to outwardly arching and rounded plant habit;             moderately vigorous growth habit; and moderate to fast             growth rate.         -   Plant height.—About 20 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 35 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Branching habit: Freely             branching habit; pinching enhances lateral branch             development; about 15 to 20 lateral branched develop per             plant giving a dense and bushy appearance. Length: About 30             cm to 40 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm to 5 mm. Internode length:             About 8 mm. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to N199             and 192C. -   Phyllode description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Phyllodes alternate, simple.         -   Length.—About 5.5 cm.         -   Width.—About 2.6 cm.         -   Shape.—Lanceolate, falcate.         -   Apex.—Slightly acuminate.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous;             slightly viscid.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate, arcuate.         -   Color.—Developing phyllodes, upper and lower surfaces: Close             to 144A. Fully expanded phyllodes, upper and lower surfaces:             Close to N137A venation, close to N137A. -   Flower description: Flower development has not been observed on     plants of the new Acacia. -   Disease & pest tolerance: Plants of the new Acacia have not been     noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Acacia     plants. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Acacia have been observed to     have good garden performance and to tolerate rain, wind, full     sunlight and temperatures from about −2° C. to about 45° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Acacia plant named ‘ACCOG01’ as illustrated and described. 